SPKL

Xaphoon Jones - Testify (Radiohead, Kanye West)

Wake up Mr. West.

It seems that Kanye has taken a little hiatus from the music scene himself. Have his autotune and heartbreak tracks cast a shadow over his earlier academically themed albums? Even so, it’s been a while since 808’s and Heartbreaks. 808’s. 2008.

With Xaphoon Jones, we take a trip back to Late Registration and Broke Phi Broke. “Broke broke broke phi broke, we ain’t got it.”

Xaphoon is the mixing and sampling mastermind producer of Chiddy Bang (http://www.chiddybangphilly.com/). Off his mixtape, The Xaphoon Jones Mixtape Vol. 1, Xaphoon brings us Touch the Sky ft. Lupe Fiasco and Reckoner in one tightly knit track. I have never been a fan of Radiohead at all, but mash-ups always seem to bring a new perspective on sounds I had a distaste for. I mean this guy mashes up Bob Marley and MGMT, Passion Pit and B.I.G. Unreal. Reckoner provides a more sedated, rhythmic accompaniment to Touch the Sky rather than the original backdrop of trumpets and “extra fly, rockin’ pink polos” jubilation. A refreshing reminiscence on Kanye’s earlier, more definitive hip hop, years before all the T-Pain and autotune. Brings back memories of collabs with Adam Levine, Talib Kweli, and Jay-Z. Speaking of Jay-Z…peep the tube on the next post.

Xaphoon Jones - Testify (Radiohead, Kanye West) (mediafire)